The University of Chicago Library has a collection of over 12 million volumes of materials in all formats (print or digital, written, audio, video, etc.), and you have access to even larger collections through the catalogs UBorrow (Big Ten Academic Alliance), BorrowDirect (the "Ivy Plus" schools), and WorldCat (aggregating libraries from around the world). The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) and Newberry Library are major research collections or primary source and archival materials available in Chicago. Materials from the CRL, UBorrow, BorrowDirect, and WorldCat can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. The following tips will help you when searching these catalogs.
- Keyword searches ("All fields" in the UChicago Library catalog): Boil your topic down to two or three key terms that, when found together in an item's description, should indicate a relevant item. Search for variations of those key terms, using synonyms, broader or narrower terms, translations of those terms, etc. to make sure that you cast your net as widely as possible.
- Author: Searching by author can be an effective means to find primary source materials. Searches for a historical figure can term up published works by those people, collections of their correspondence, transcribed speeches, etc. In addition searches by keyword, subject, etc. can turn up materials listing government agencies, NGOs, or other organizations as their "authors." A search for materials from those organizations can turn up further materials for your research.
- Subject headings: The Library of Congress Subject Headings formally describe what books are about and link related titles. If you find a title relevant to your topic, check its "Subjects" and search for those to find related titles. You can also take parts of a subject heading ("Indians of Mexico" from "Indians of Mexico -- Mexico -- Oaxaca (State) -- Government relations," for example) to search for materials that include that segment in their subjects, but may not have the full, more detailed subject where you found the phrase.
- Many phrases used in subject headings are associated with published primary source materials, including "sources," "personal narratives," and more. Try combining these phrases with other terms in your advanced searches (see below).
- Advanced searches: All of these catalogs have "advanced search" interfaces that allow you to perform more sophisticated searches (combine a Subject heading or portion of one, such as a geographical term, with keywords, for example).
Once you find a relevant work in the UChicago libraries, go to the shelves to find it. Call numbers are assigned based on what a book is about, and so you will likely find other relevant titles to your research on the shelves alongside what you initially came looking for.